


Expectations

by SunflowerSpectre



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluffy Ending, mentions of past relationships - Freeform, mentions/hints of past homophobic encounters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 03:27:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27696943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunflowerSpectre/pseuds/SunflowerSpectre
Summary: Kendra expresses her interest, or rather her non-interest in men, something Buffy finds she can relate to after having too much boy-driven drama and turmoil.
Relationships: Buffy Summers/Kendra Young
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	Expectations

**Author's Note:**

  * For [calcelmo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/calcelmo/gifts).



Asking Kendra something is always an iffy shot on whether or not you would get a genuine answer. More often than not, Buffy finds the other slayer giving her answers that are more suited out of the slayer handbook. Sometimes it is hard to tell if Kendra genuinely believed what she is saying, but it is always something rehearsed, practiced. Something  _ expected _ from her; she never gives answers that are too surprising, always by the book, always precise. Everything that Buffy  _ could _ have been -  _ or should have been depending on who you asked.  _

But Buffy knows out to pull her strings, how to push buttons and get reactions. It is something she was always good at, sometimes unintentionally and unapologetically, but something she cultivated into a more precise and intentional skill after becoming a slayer. She figured out through Kendra’s rehearsed lines and too by the book fighting style, that the best way to get a genuine reaction from the expected slayer is to do something  _ unexpected. _

“So,” Buffy draws out the word, perched on the edge of a tall gravestone, her legs swinging casually; her stake still under her palm beside her as she leans forward, “How is Sunnydale's nightlife?”

Kendra doesn’t even glance toward her, arms crossed tightly over her chest. Her eyes focus instead on the surrounding area. As much as she tries to hide it, Buffy sees the way her eyebrow arches, “Active, as expected from a hell mouth.”

Buffy’s smile is devious, full of mischief, “Not the kind of nightlife I meant. I mean, vampires and demons are fun and all, but not  _ that _ kind of fun.”

That warrants a look from Kendra. She glances at Buffy through the corner of her eyes and for a moment, something akin to amusement flashes over her eyes. “I thought vampires  _ were _ that kind of fun for you.”

Buffy falters, her balance on the gravestone becoming unsteady as her question backfires. She chokes on her words as they die in her throat, unable to come up with a quick retort. From the look in Kendra’s eyes, something tells her that Kendra did this on purpose. She recovers quickly to her credit, a more wry smile on her face.

“Debatable. It’s not like any of them actually worked out in the end. Boys are already enough trouble as it is without adding the whole immortal, blood sucking vampire thing into the mix.”

Kendra looks away, something unreadable on her face, “I wouldn’t know.”

The genuineness of the statement piques Buffy’s interest, looking at Kendra curiously. She supposes that it was a bit insensitive to ask in the first place considering she doesn’t think the Council exactly allowed fraternization with the whole  _ distance yourself, no feelings  _ thing. But she hoped that poking the bull just a  _ little bit _ would ignite something in Kendra, some sort of flame that the Council has tried their damndest to dowse.

“Yeah I suppose the jerks in tweed wouldn’t exactly let you have a boyfriend on top of the slayer business.”

Kendra snorts, her lip briefly curling into a snarl with a controlled anger that for once, Buffy feels it’s directly aimed at her. Kendra’s nails dig lightly into her skin. Buffy eyes it warily as she stands up, concerned and unused to see such a reaction from the other slayer. When she wanted to provoke some sort of emotion, this isn’t what she had in mind. Hoping that it won’t start a fight, Buffy’s legs swing over the edge of the graveyard before her feet plop down onto the ground. Her hand goes to Kendra’s shoulder, grabbing the slayer’s attention just enough that her nails release skin. 

Buffy isn’t always too good with this, though she wishes she were. Instead, she hopes that the gesture is enough for Kendra to understand. Kendra eases the tension in her shoulders, briefly indulging in the contact as she leans in toward Buffy’s palm before she rolls her shoulders. 

“It’s not exactly a boyfriend that they have issues with,” Kendra states plainly, “The Council are old fashioned in more than one way.”

It takes a moment for the gears in Buffy’s head to connect enough to make her realize what Kendra is implying. Her mouth shapes a small  _ ‘o’  _ and Kendra prepares herself for Buffy to step away, to remove her hand as if burned by a pyre. When she doesn’t, Kendra’s eyes flicker toward Buffy with uncertainty, brows furrowed. 

“I suppose that it makes boy problems a lot easier if you don’t like boys,” Buffy finally states simply. “Can’t say I blame you. Boys are a lot more trouble than they’re worth.”

Buffy’s reassuring smile is dazzling, different from the other uncertain or unconfident smiles that she’s flashed before. It reaches her eyes with a soft warmth, softening the edges of her face. Kendra finds herself returning the smile, her hand places itself over Buffy’s in understanding, squeezing it lightly before they both remove themselves. Buffy goes back to the nearby gravestone, settling for leaning against it as she mulls the information over.

Not that there’s that much to mull over; if anything, the revelation of Kendra’s preference just ignites a curious train of thought. Boys have always been troublesome for her; drama, miscommunication, getting stuck in a constant  _ will they, won’t they  _ situation. Girls haven’t always been  _ that _ much better, her mind briefly drifting toward  _ Queen Cordelia _ , but then she thinks of her soft-spoken favorite redhead instead; how unlike with the boys in her life, girls have always been easier to talk to. She knows what to expect. She  _ gets _ girls because she  _ is  _ a girl. 

But it’s always been with a platonic friendship in mind. She wonders how much would change if she doesn’t limit herself, doesn’t limit what she’s capable of with other people - other girls.

“If you have a question, just ask it. It’s better than just staring at me all night.”

  
Kendra seems to have accepted that their night patrol is not going to be as busy as they had hoped. On any other night, that would have been suspicious, worrying or even grateful. She stops looking toward the gravestones expectedly as if a vampire is going to emerge and save her from the conversation. She joins Buffy beside the grave, neck leaning back to watch the sky to avoid looking at the person beside her.

_ Are girls better?  _ Buffy wants to ask the question, mulling it over on her tongue, but it dies in her throat. Instead, foreign words that seem to have a mind of their own pop out in its place.

“Can I kiss you?”

This time she  _ does _ take Kendra off guard, her eyes shooting open with a frazzled expression on her brows. However, she’s not the only one surprised by the question, Kendra’s face mirroring Buffy’s own as a light pink dusts just along her cheek bone, drifting toward the tips of her ears. Buffy braces herself for the worst, any reaction Kendra could have to the question is completely justified any time the filter in Buffy’s brain decides to take a vacation - something that’s become a habit at all the worst times. 

Kendra’s lips thin, brows furrowing as her eyes squint, as if she’s trying to look for something in Buffy’s face. Whatever it is she seems to be looking for, she doesn’t seem to find it as the tension in her shoulders relax, lighting leaning against Buffy as she responds.

“Out of all the questions, why ask that one?”

Buffy falters, tongue tying as she scrambles to find the answer to a question she never thought she’d even ask. After a second, she gives up with a shrug. Kendra snorts, the back of her neck resting on the edge of the grave. 

“If I say yes, does it stay between us?”

Kendra’s eyes shine with a sort of desperate hope, a silent pleading that she would  _ never _ say aloud. Although Buffy has at least started to wear off on her and warmed parts of her that the Council has long frozen, indulging into her own emotions is still something rare for her. But the more she thinks about it, the more she realizes that she  _ wants _ to indulge, even if it’s just once. Do something for her. Not for the Council, not for the sake of the world, but to sit in a graveyard and kiss a pretty girl just because she can. 

But that doesn’t mean she can risk letting anyone, especially any of the Watchers, find out. She likes her private life to be just that.

“Oh believe me, I plan on keeping this whole conversation between us.” Buffy flips a bit of hair over her shoulder, but quickly corrects herself when she sees the wall start to build back up in Kendra’s eyes, “Not that I’m ashamed or anything - it would be just kind of nice to just do it because we can. No strings attached. No obligations. No gossip or rumors or everyone butting into our business.”

Buffy’s voice turns a bit dry, nose wrinkling in distaste at the latter half of her ramble. She looks up suddenly when she hears what is almost passable for a laugh, coming from the back of Kendra’s throat. The sound is gruff, hoarse as if she can’t quite build up the courage for a full blown laugh or as if she has forgotten how. The twitch of a smile softens her face, lighting up her eyes in a way that the Council has dimmed.

Buffy isn’t the first to make a move, instead it’s Kendra who turns to face Buffy head on. A hand rests against her cheek, Kendra’s thumb rubbing soft circles at a spot below Buffy’s eye. She finds herself leaning into the grasp and feels a flutter of emotions building in her stomach - a flurry of butterflies wanting to be sent free. Her face feels warm and something about it reminds her of the way Angel used to make her feel. She doesn’t see Kendra move forward, not with her eyes closed as she prepares herself, but she  _ feels  _ Kendra’s lips finally meet hers. 

Oddly enough, she’s not against this feeling.


End file.
